We are in chapter 39 of Genesis with our word for today. יַּפְקִדֵ֙ from the root word פָּקַד visit, inspect, look at, see, attend to, command. It is used 299 times in the Old Testament. We see our word used to identify God himself as one who visits, inspects, or oversees. Job 34:13 Who פָקַ֣ד appointed him over the earth? Who put him in charge of the whole world? Job 36:23 Who has פָקַ֣ד prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’? Jeremiah 49:19 And I will אֶפְקֹ֑ד appoint over her whomever I choose. For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me? The answer to all of these questions is no one, oh course. No one is higher than God himself. He alone has the highest role of overseeing, inspecting, being in charge. We also see our word used to describe God setting up prophets like Jeremiah 1:10-11 See, today I הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָappoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” We also see Moses asking and God directing him to set up his successor to lead the people after Moses. Numbers 27:15-18 Moses said to the Lord, “May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, יִפְקֹ֣דappoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him.
We also see people in positions of authority setting up others to act as overseers. 2 Kings 12:11 Then they would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had theהַפְּקֻדִים oversight of the house of the Lord. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord. Jeremiah 40:11 Likewise, when all the Judeans who were in Moab and among the Ammonites and in Edom and in other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had הִפְקִ֣יד appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over them. This is how our word is used today in our chapter. Genesis 39:4-5 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him וַיַּפְקִדֵ֙הוּ֙ overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him הִפְקִ֨יד overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. The heart of our word is this idea of trust. Because Joseph was someone who could be trusted people recognized this and made Joseph an overseer because they knew that what was valuable to them would be well taken care of. This is the same idea for one of the three words God uses to describe leaders in the church. The group God has set up to lead the church are identified as elders, shepherds, and overseers. 1 Timothy 3:1-6 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be...When these qualifications are followed God is able to lead his church because this group will be people who can be trusted to listen to God and follow Him. This is at the forefront of the Holy Spirit speaking through Paul’s direction to Timothy in setting up the church leadership. 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. It is all about trust. I’ll close with a great example when Jesus was entrusting his very life to God the father right before he died on the cross, as recorded in Luke 23:46 Jesus quotes this Psalm with our word for today. Psalm 31:5 Into your hands I אַפְקִ֪יד commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
